Rising Stars: Meet Erin Beal

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Beal. 

Erin, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve been writing stories since I could. My favorite books meant the world to me when I was younger, and creators like Shel Silverstein, Eric Carle, and Bill Martin, Jr. were the stars I sent my fan letters to. 

As a 34-year-old woman diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), I’ve spent years being transfixed by clever language, fonts, vibrant patterns, textures, and colors. 

Orthography, typefaces, and document design–anything that emphasizes or celebrates the rhetorical utility and/or visual appeal of letters, numbers, and other characters–became a fascination of mine early on. 

Which led to me earning a B.A. in Rhetoric and Writing Studies from Western Michigan University, working in marketing for my alma mater, and then entering a grad program for linguistics. 

The struggles I faced in that very grad program–detrimental misunderstandings with professors, largely–were what led me to seek a diagnosis for ASD. 

Autism was something that had been on my radar for several years leading up to that as a potential explanation for my lifelong struggles with sensory processing, anxiety, insomnia, making friends, etc. 

Around the time I was diagnosed, I began studying for my Master’s in Developmental Disabilities at Teachers College, Columbia University. I had also lost about 50 pounds after getting into strength training, and I loved the effects that exercise were having on the strength of my mind-body connection. 

After two years of planning, I opened the Autism Wellness Center of Southwest Michigan, a sensory-friendly personal training studio in Portage. The timing was unfortunate, however, as Covid-19 restrictions were still relatively new. 

After closing the Autism Wellness Center, I had two of the most important things that one needs for writing: time to spare, and feelings to process. 

And that’s how “I Am Enough: Little 1’s Journey” came to fruition. It was the emotional outpour of an Autistic woman exhausted by everything being so hard. 

An Autistic woman who was once an undiagnosed little girl that had to somehow make herself okay with being bullied, humiliated, and rejected–by classmates, teachers, friends, family, employers, professors, therapists, lovers, boyfriends, and strangers. 

I make myself okay with it by accepting people as they are–but, depending on factors like the sense of safety and balance, acceptance doesn’t always play out as tolerance. 

Sometimes, it means peacefully making your exit; accepting the fact that not everything or everyone is right for you. 

And that’s okay! It just means you’re given a brand-new opportunity to go in search of an environment that better supports your needs. 

That’s what Little 1 does in “I Am Enough: Little 1’s Journey,” and they do succeed–resulting in a surprise ending I promise you won’t see coming. 

And that’s how the book came together: a lifetime of rejection and an authentic fascination with language and design. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been an incredibly rocky road. Thankfully, however, like many other Autistic people, I like rocks. 

Coming out as Autistic has been a difficult process. Many people in my life fell away or distanced themselves from me after I was diagnosed. Many people don’t even believe that anyone other than nonspeaking young boys can be Autistic. 

I think public misconceptions are by far the biggest obstacle to happiness and success for Autistic people. 

Writing this book was easy, though. It came together quickly because it was the right book at the right time. If you don’t believe in divine inspiration, you might say that that book had been cooking and stewing inside of me for a long time, but the timer went off and it was now time for me to plate it up and serve. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a communications professional with a background largely in higher education. 

I love composition, document design, visual rhetoric, social media, and linguistics, among other staples in marketing. 

My resume and examples of my work can be found at erinmariebeal.wordpress.com. 

What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
To trust and value me. 

Pricing:

• PDF instant download: $9.99
• Softcover print: $29.99
• YouTube audio version with pictures: FREE!

Contact Info:

• Email: erinmariebeal@gmail.com
• Website: erinmariebeal.wordpress.com
• Instagram: i.am.enough.by.erin.beal
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/nKDJWguYfhc